Control switch



NOV. 18, 1930. H E, CHlPMAN 1,781,893

CONTROL SWITCH Filed May 3, 1928 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 18, 1930 .UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE HARRY E. CHIP'MAN, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE SSGNMENTS, TO ANDREW LE ROY CHIPMAN, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

CONTROL SWTCI-I Application led May 3, 1528.

yilhis invention relates generally to a con trol switch for use in electrical circuits, and more particularly to a control switch especially adapted to control the starting, stopping and reversal of an electric motor.

The principal object of this invention is to improve upon the control switch disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 136,246, iiled September 18, 1926. Another object of y'. this invention is to provide a control switch to which an electric motor is alertly responsive, that is simple in operation and construction, and that has a high degree ot efciency and low power loss.

g5, Another object ot this invention includes the provision orp a switch and operating means associated therewith, whereby the control circuit oi an electric machine may be closed, opened or reversed at any time by the 5, perator, including means whereby the circuit may be opened and the machine stopped automatically at predetermined times.

Another object includes the provision of an improved automatic motor stopping device g". operating in cooperation with an element driven by the motor, the operating device being adjnstable and adapted to be set to stop the motor at predetermined times in accordance with the setting ot the device.

nl; @ther objects of this invention will be in parte obvious and in part pointed out hereinviiter.

in accordance with this invention, my electric switch device is interposed between a suitable power source and the electric machine to be controlled. My switch device consists generally of two terminal carrying plates or blocks, one plate being pivoted for pendulum-like swinging movement over the side 4., tace oi the other plate, which remains stationary. A set ot electric terminals are disposed along the lower edge of the swinging plate, which are adapted to be swept into contact with either one ot' two sets of electric a terminals disposed along the side tace of the stationary plate. Contact between the swinging set ot electric terminals and one of the stationarysets throws the motor into operation in one direction and contact between the :3o swinging set ot terminals and the second sta- Serial No. 274,774.

tionary set reverses the direction ot motor ros tation. lt the swinging set oi: terminals contacts neither ot the stationary sets, the switch is open and no current flows throuh the motor. Manual means are provided tor moving the swinging plate with its set ot terminals into contact with either set oi'. the stationary terminals. Spring elements operate to hold' the swinging plate in out-of-electric contact position with the stationary plate, and it is only moved from this position by the manual means above mentioned. An electro-magnetic latch device is provided to lock the switch in either contact position, both manual and automatic means being provided for releasing the latch to permit the switch to be restored by the spring elements to ont-ot-contact position.

The automatic means for releasing the latch consists generally of a pair of spring pressed switch buttons, one for each direction of motor rotation, normally 'in open switch position. A rotating plate, properly geared down and driven by the motor, carries a projecting element which is adapted to strike either switch button to close the latch circuit after the plate has been rotated through a predetermined angle, to release the latch, to permit the switch device to move to non-contact position, stopping the motor. @ne switch bntton is thus operative to stop the motor when rotating in one direction, and the other switch button is operative to stop the motor when rotating in the opposite direction.

In order that a clearer understanding ot my invention may be had, attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot this application and illustrat-ing certain possible embodiments of my invention. l

In the drawings, Fig. l discloses a side view of my control switch and the associated antomatic latch operating device, the electric motor controlled thereby and the wiring arrangement theretor being illustrated diagrammatically f Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my control switch, showing in particular the springelement-s for normally retaining the switch in out of contact position, and the manually operated means for swinging the switch into either of two contact positions;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view of my switch device, showing in particular the interior construction of the swinging terminal carrying plate, taken on line 3 3 of F ig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l'.

Similar reference characters refer to simi lar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, l have illustrated diagrammatically a motor 1 anda wiring arrangement, the motor being electrically connected bythe wiring to my control switch 2. An automatic stop device 3 for stopping the motor anddriven thereby releases at predetermined times a latch device associa-ted withthe control switch, which permits the control switch to swing to off contact position, stopping the motor.

For purposes'of illustration', I have shown my automatic stop device as connected to the motor 1- by means of suitable belt-ing 4 and a pulley wheel 5, the pulley wheel being geared to a revolving stop disk 6 of the stopv device'. More particularly, the pulley wheel 5, fixed to shaft 7, turnsworm gear- 8. vWorm gear 8 rotates large beveled gear wheel 9, fixed to shaft 10; Small gear wheel 11, Vixed to shaft 10, rotates large gear wheel 12, fixed to shaft 13. Small gear wheel 14, iixed to the end of shaft 13, rotatesworm gear l5, fixed to shaft 16, which carries the rotating disk 6. Thus, it is seen that, by the above system of reduction gearing, the stop disk is made to revolve at the desired speed.

Bracket 17, secured to any suitable support, carries a. switch block 18. A contact button, comprising a head portion 19 and a stein portion 20, forms one contact terminal of the automatic Vstop device. A screw member 21, lixed to the switch block and aligned with the contact button, forms the other contact terminal of the stop device. The contact point 22 of the contact button may be held out of electric Contact with contact point 23 of the screw member 21 by means of a. coil 4spring 24 seated within a cavity 25 in the switch block and pressing against a collar 26 on the stem portion 2O of the contact button. A roller 27, made of some non-conduca ing material, such as fibre, projects laterally from the edge of, revolving disk 6 and is adapted to strike head portion 19 to move the contact button, against the action of coil spring 24, into electric contact with screw member 21. rlhe roller 27 may be secured in any desired position around the disk 6 by providing a groove 6 havingA an enlarged cavity into which the head portion -of stud member' 27 is adapted to seat. A cap member 2? screws onto the stud member 27 to To automatically stop a motor adapted to be operated in either direction, l provide a duplicate stop device, comprising a switch block 23 having a screw member 29 as one electric terminal andV a switch button Vcomprising a head portion 30 and a. stem portion 31 as the other terminal. Reverse rotation of the motor and pulley wheel driven thereby moves roller 27 into Contact with the head portion of the switcn button carried by!V block 28,v closing the contacts and stopping the motor, as will be de ibed hereinafter. Since the period of motor rotation is neas uredv'by the time it takes the roller 27 to move from the stop position at one block to the stop position at the other block, it is seen that the period of motor lrotation can be lengthened or shortened by changing the positions of the blocks relative to. each other around the circumference of the disk. By sliding stud member 27 around in its groove 64, the roller 27 may be so positioned on the diskasto properly Contact the head portion 19 and 30 of the respective switches, whatever their relative position along' the circumference of the disk may be. f

The-switch for controlling the operation of the motor 1, and consequentlj,7 the rotation ofthe disk 6,' will now be describediV A terminal carrier 33, in the form of a plate or blocksecured to a suitable support 34, has supporting standards 35, one fixed as by screws- 36 to each end thereof. The standards are preferably made wish-bone or forked in shape, theends of the forks being secured to the terminal block 33. A second. terminal carrier 36, in the form of a pla-te or block, is suspended over the terminal block 33 by means of pins 3'? projecting laterally from the side edges. of. tl e block and joui-nailed in the standards rlhe upper face 38 of the terminal block 33 is slightly concave, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, permitting the terminalblock 33 vto swing' thereover with a pendulum-like movement. i

Blocks 33l and 36, made of non-conducting materia'gl, have electric terminals mounted thereon. A: cross-piece 39 secured to the top ofthe standards carries a series of electric terminal securing elements 40, 4l, 42 and 43. Electric conductors 44,45, 46 and 4.7 connected to the respective terminal elements extend part way into holes extending through the terminal block, as shown in F 1 and 3. Contact terminals a, c and d placed in the holes in the terminal block 36 slidablv project from; the lower edge thereof. Each of the contact termina-ls agb', c and CZ has an upwardly projecting stem portion 48 to which .the respective conductors 44, 45. 46 and 47'are connected. A coil spring 48;

positioned around the stem 48 and held in place by screw-cap 36 screwed into the top of the bloclr 36 resiliently holds the respective terminals in projected position.

Vl`erminal bloclr 33 is shown as provided with two sets of electric terminals extending through the block, each set aligned in a row and having contact points lying iiush with the top tace ot the bloclr.. The contact terminals a., c and (Z ot one set arranged in a row along one side ot the block, and the contact terminals c, f, g and 7L et the other set are arranged in a row along the other side ot the block. Spring elements 49 and 5() fixed to the sides ot block are adapted to resiliently Contact each side ot swinging blo-ck 36 to normally hold it in vertical suspended position. ln this position contact terminals in blocir 36ers disp 'ed between the rows ot' con act terminals in block 33 and out ot electric contact therewith.

Means are provided 'for sweeping the swinging set of electric terminals into contact with either of the stationary sets. Arms l and 52, lit-ed to swinging block 36, extend laterally trom each ede thereof. Adjacent the ends ot the oppositely extending arms 5l and 52 plungers 53 and 51 are positioned. provided with collars and 56. The plungers are normally held in upward position by means of coils 57 and 53, which are compressed between the collars and theV trame or base ot the switch. Each plunger is also provided with a striking collar 59 and 60 adapted to respectively engage pins 6l and. 62 projecting trom the ends of arms 5l and 52. Now it is seen that, by depressing either plunger 53 or 5%, the sti-ill' collar ot the actuated plunger will engage the adjacent arm to swing the. bloclr 36 in the corresponding direction. rhe amount ot this swinging movement given to the block 36 is sutlicient to bring the set o'lE contacts carried by the bloclr into electric Contact with the corresponding set ot contacts of the stationary bloclr 33.

Means are provided 'lor latching the bloclr 36 in the electric Contact position to which it has been swung. The lat-ching means is substantially the same as that described in my copending application alcove referred to, including a relay comprisiinr magnet coils 63 and an armature 64, which carries a pin 65 slidably supported in suitable brackets 66. A coil spring 67 surrounding the pin 65 and comaressed between the armature 6st and the rear bracket yieldingly holds the armature torward. The end of pin 65 projects through the 'forward bracket and is adapted, under the action of spring 67, to latch against either side ot a lug 68 which is secured to the rear edge of swinging block 36.

The amount ot' movement given to the swinging block by means ot the plungers will move the lug 68 sufficiently to cause latch pin 65 to engage against one side or the other thereoi, holding the corresponding sets ot terminals in contact and preventing return movement of the swinging plate to neutral non-contact position until the latch pin has been retracted, as by energization ot the relay coils 63. The arrangement of the plungers and projecting arms is such that one will not interfere with the proper operation of the other.

rlie circuits and the operation ot the switch will now be described. When the block 36 is in normal position, held so by spring elements Lt9 and 50, none of the terminals carried thereby contacts any ot' the terminals on the stationary block ln this adjustment the motor is at rest and no current passes through the coils ot the relay. To start the motor rotating in one direction or the other, it is merely necessary to depress t ie corresponding plunger 53 or 54. it plunger 53 is depressed, collar 59 will strike arm 51 to swing block 36 about its pivot elements 37', sweeping terminals a', o', c and d carried by block 36 into contact with terminals a, c, and l carried by block The circuit will be as follow. From one terminal 69 ot' a suitable source ot supply, current will iiow through conductor 70 and terminal a. From terminal a current will flow across to terminal a; thence through conductor 7l to one pole 72 ot the motor armature; and thence from the other pole 3 ot the motor armature through conductor 7st to the opposite terminal 75 of the source ot supply. Meanwhile, current will also flow from pole 72 ot the motor through conductor 7 6 to terminal c', across to terminal c, through conductor 7T to the iield terminal 78 of the motor. After passing through the motor, the current flows from the field terminal .79 through conductor 8O to terminal 7), across to terminal o', and thence through conductors 8l and 74 to the opposite terminal T5 et the source ot supply.

Assuming that in this adjustment of the switch, the motor drives the rotating dist: counterclockwise, moving roller 27 into contact with head portion 19 to close the stop switch after a predetermined number of revolutions oia the motor, the relay will thus be automatically energized and the pin 65 retracted to perinit bloclt 36 to swing back into normal non-contact position, in accordance with the following circuit. Relay operating current will iiow from one terminal 82 olf a suitable source ot low voltage current, as a battery 83, through conductors Se and 85, to contact point 22, thence to contact point 23 through conductor 36 to terminal (Z, across to terminal el, and through conductor 87 to the relay coils 63. From relay coils 63, the current tlows through conductor 88 to the opposite terminal 89 ot' the battery 83. lt is, therefore, seen that, as soon as the motor has made a predetermined number orn revolutions,

terminal points 22 andf23 are brought into Contact and the relay coils 63 will be energized to retract latch pin 65, permitting block 36 to swing into non-contact position to stop the motor.

Manual means are provided to permit thel ductor 88 tothe opposite terminal ot the battery.

To cause the motor to rotate in the reverse direction, rotating the disk 6 clockwise, it is first necessary to stop the motor ir" it is rotating. Plunger 5st is thenv depressed to sweep terminals o", c and d into contact withv terminals e, f, gand t. lntliis event, the latch pin 65 will engage against the opposite side'of the lugv 68. ln this adjustment ofA the switch, the armature circuit tor the motorwillbe as follows. `From terminal 69 ofa-suitable power source, through conductor 70,-through terminal a, across to terminal e, through conductor 9B to termiV Aul a, through conductor 7l, and thence, as before, through the armature of the motor to the supply terminal 75.

The motor field circuit will then be reversed to reverse the direction oic motor rotation, and will be as follows-z from conductors 7l and $4 to terminal c, across to terminal g, across throughy conductor 95 -to terminal and thence through conductor to the field terminal 79.V From the opposite field terminal 78, the current flows throughr conductor 77 to terminal c, thence across through conductor 97 to terminal f, across to terminal through conductors Sl and 74; to the opposite terminal 75 ot the source of supply. Similarly, in this adjustment of the switch, the relay coils G3 will be energized to permit block 36 to swing into non-contact position when roller a7V has moved clockwise sutiiciently to strike head portion 30 to close the relay circuit. ln this case current from the battery 83 will pass from terminal 82 through conductor 8e through terminals 3l and 29 ot the stop switch, through conductor 98 to terminal h, across to terminal d', lirough conductor 87 to the relay, 'from whence the current passes Vthrough conductor 88 to the opposite pole of the battery. The motor may be stopped in its rotation at any time by merely closin the circuit at switch 90, as before.

My motor control device is especially adapted for use-in connection with an electric motor driving the reels tor motion `picture film, so that the film may be wound mei-,eee

back and forth from one reel to another. ln such case, the reels may be so mounted to be driven by pulley wheel 5 driven by the motor, which is rotated iirst in one direction a predetermined number ot times and then rotated in the opposite direction a like number of times, producing` corresponding number of revolutions of the respective reels. However, it Will be understood that the utility or" my switch control is not limited to controlling motors driving motion picture reels, butv that it may be used to control the moi ment of electric machines generally. lt is further understood that l do not limit myselt to the use of two sets ot' terminals, or any specific number ot terminals, in the stationary switch block; but as many terminals and sets may be used as there are movements to be controlled. -V

From the above disclosure, it is seen that my switch is simple and compact and adapted to be mounted in any convenient position on the vmachine with whichr it is to be used. Good and firm electrical YContact is insured between terminals carried by one block and the terminals carried by the other, with consequent danger of arcing reduced to a minimum. Y

As many changes could be made in the aboveccnstruction and as many apparently widely different embodiments couidV be made withoutrdeparting from the scope thereot, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lV hat I claim is l. ln a switch of the character described, in combination, a pair ot carriers, a set ot electrical terminals fixed to the periphery ot' one or' said carriers, a plurality ot sets of electrical terminals fixed to a side tace ot the other of said carriers, means for normally retaining f one et said carriers in out-ot-electrical contacting position in reference to the other carrier, and means for rotating one ot said car-V riers with respect to the other in either direction from said normal position to place the terminals thereon into and out of contact selectively with the terminals or" the other carrier.

2. In a switch crevice of the character described, in combination, a pair of car fiers, a set of electrical terminals arranged in a row along one ot said carriers longitudinally, a plurality of sets of terminals each set arranged in a row along the other ot said carriers longitudinally, means for normally retaining one of said carriers in out-o-electrical contacting position in reference to the other carrier, and means for sweeping-one carrier transversely in either direction from said normal posit-ion` over t ie other to place the terminals thereonin and out of contact selectively with the terminals on the oth er carrier.

3. In a switch device of the character described, in combination, a pair oi supporting standards, a carrier hinged along one edge to said standards, an electric terminal lixed to the free edge of said hinged carrier, a crosspiece connecting said standards, electrical conductors fixed to said cross-piece and leading to said electric terminal, a stationary carrier, a plurality of electric terminals iixed to a side tace ot said stationary carrier, and means tor sweeping the terminal edge oi the'tirst mentioned carrier across the terminal face of the other to place one terminal in and ont ot contact selectively with another.

Ll. In a switch device ot the character described, in combination, a pair of carriers arranged in planes at an angle one to another, a set ot electric terminals lixed to an edge ot one ot said carriers and arranged in a longitudinal row, a plurality ot sets ot electric terminals tixed to a side tace ot the other ot said carriers, each set of said terminals being arranged in a longitudinal row with each terminal lying substantially flush with the side tace ot said carrier, and means for sweeping the terminal edge ot the tirst mentioned carrier across the terminal tace ot the other to place one set ot terminals in and out ot Contact selectively with another set.

5. In a switch device of the character described, in combination, a carrier hinged along one edge, a set of electric terminals housed in a longitudinal row within said carrier and projecting trom the tree edge thereot, resilient means associated with each of said terminals tending` to torce its terminal outwardly, a stationary carrier, a plurality ot sets ot electric terminals fixed to a side face ot said stationary carrier, and means for sweeping the terminal edge ot the hinged carrier across tne terminal tace otl the stationary carrier to place one set oil terminals in and ont ot contact selectively with another set.

6. In a switch device oi the character described, in combination, a pair ot supporting standards, a carrier hinged along one edge to said standards, .an elect ic terminal positioned along the opposite edge thereoi, a crosspiece connecting said standards, a flexible electrical conductor iixed to said cross-piece and leading to said electrical terminal, a stationary carrier, a plurality ot electric terminals fixed to side tace of said stationary7 carrier, means for sweeping the terminal edge oi" the hinged carrier transversely across the terminal tace ot the stationary carrier to place one set of terminals in and ont of contact selectively with another set, means tor normally retaining the hinged carrier in one position, and means for locking said carrier in a position out of normal position.

7. In a switch device of the character described, in combination, a` carrier hinged along one edge, an electric terminal positioned along the opposite edge thereof, a stationary carrier, a plurality ot electric terminals fixed to a side tace of said stationary carrier, and means orsweeping the terminal edge of the hinged carrier across the terminal tace of the stationary carrier to place one set ot terminals in and out of contact selectively with another set, said means including an arm extending laterally trom said hinged member, a manually operative plunger cooperating with said arm to rock said hinged carrier and resilient means associated with said plunger operative to return the plunger when released to normal arm disengaged position.

8. In a switch device of the character described, in combination, a carrier hinged alongI one edge, an electric terminal positioned along the opposite edge thereof, a stationary carri-er, a plurality of electric terminals fixed to a side tace ot said stationary carrier, means for sweeping the terminal edoe ot' the hinged carrier across the terminal tace ot the stationary carrier to place one set ot terminals in and out of contact selectively with another set, spring elements normally retaining said terminals in out-of contact position, and means tor releasably holding various pairs or" said terminals in various contact positions, said means including an armr projecting laterally from each side of said hinged block, and a spring pressed plunger associated with each ot said arms.

9. In a switch device of the character described, in combination, a trame, a carrier suspended from said trame, an electrical terminal tixed to the tree end of said carrier, stationary carrier, a plurality ot electric terminals iixed to a side tace ot said stationary carrier, means for sweeping the terminal end ot .said suspended carrier across the terminal tace of said stationary carrier to place one terminal in and out ot Contact selectively with another terminal, and resilient means positioned on each side ot said hinged carrier to normally retain said hinged carrier in out-ot-terminal contacting position.

10. In a switch device ot the character described, in combination, a trame, a block hinged at one edge to said trame, a set ot electric terminals resiliently projecting from a free edge of said block, a stationary block`v a plurality ot sets ot electric terminals iixed to a side face ot said stationary block, and means for rocking said hinged block to sweep the set ot terminals carried thereby into and ont ot' contact with various sets of terminals carried by the stationary block, said means including an arm projecting laterally from each side ot' said hinged block, and a spring pressed plunger associated with each ot said arms.

ll. A switch device for controlling the operation of an electric device including, in

lcombination, a pair of carriers lfor electric terminals operatively connected to said electric devicein such a manner that rotation of one of said carriers with respectto the other Will rmore certain sets of electric terminals into contact to cause said electric device to operate in one direction and rotation of said carrier in the opposite direction will move other sets of electric terminals into Contact to cause said electric deviceto 'reverse its operative direction, L latch device for locking the respective sets of terminals in the various contact positions, and electromagnetic ineens for releasing said latch.

This specification signed this 28th day of April, 1928.

HARRY E. CHIPMAN. 

